Trickery and Lies
by pinkskyline
Summary: Merlin, outed as a sorcerer, decides to help Princess Mithian with problems in her kingdom. Why? Because banishment is so boring.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Sorry, I initially forgot to write my author's note! The title refers mostly to magic, and lying about it, and using it in tricky ways to get what you want. This story is mainly about Merlin and Princess Mithian from season 4. There is a tiny bit of Gwen and a bit more Arthur. Definitely some spoilers for season 4—and the Merlin in this story is the more confident Merlin we've seen this season. This story is almost completely done (I just have to write chapter 12) so I will upload the chapters as I get them edited. Please read and review. I love reviews more than anything. Feel free to tell me if I got something wrong about Nemeth or Camelot—I was guessing for a lot of things and made up a lot of names because I don't think any of Mithian's relatives were ever named. Please review or let me know if you enjoy it

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin. This fanfic is making me no money!

Merlin had imagined all the ways that Arthur could find out about his magic. He imagined coming between Morgana and her brother, throwing a desperate spell to save Arthur's life and astounding them both in the process. He imagined healing Arthur from a mortal wound, realizing too late that Arthur was not unconscious. He even imagined simply telling Arthur one day, when he had proven his worth beyond all measure. But none of these happy scenarios were to be.

When Arthur found out, there was no swelling music, there was no burning sense that finally destiny was fulfilled, and Arthur was not pleased.

Arthur, Merlin and the knights had been hunting bandits. They found the camp shortly before midday. The bandits fought well for a group of half-starved outcasts, and Merlin found himself backed up against a cliff. So he did what he always did. He magicked a tree branch to fall on the hulking individual. It did, and when the bandit fell Merlin found himself staring directly into Arthur's eyes. From the look on Arthur's face, Merlin knew that Arthur had seen the fire of magic in his eyes.

Arthur did not clap him in irons and drag him to the castle, but he did look exactly as betrayed as he had when he realized Agravaine was Morgana's ally, not his. Merlin's heart broke for his friend, but he refused to feel as guilty as Agravaine should have felt. He had never joined with Arthur's enemies. He had never betrayed Camelot. He had never craved Arthur's power as his own.

They rode back to the castle in silence. The knights sensed that something had happened they were unaware of, but Arthur did not fill them in. Merlin suspected he was going to be confronted in private.

He was wrong.

Arthur convened a session of council, and then gathered the court to the throne room. Merlin watched nervously. This wasn't all about him dropping a tree branch on a bandit, was it? What would Arthur do if he knew what Merlin had really been about all these years?

"I have brought you all here to see that the laws in force at the time of my father's rule still apply," Arthur began solemnly.

Merlin was increasingly convinced that this was all about him. He grasped at a response to the accusations he was sure would be leveled at him, but could not think of a way to respond. His mind was blank. And he had no idea how Morgana and Morgause did that thing where they disappeared into a whirlwind. Merlin wished he'd spent more time on useful spells like that and less on things like bringing statutes to life.

"Magic is a danger to this kingdom," Arthur was saying. Merlin nearly rolled his eyes. Had Uther made Arthur memorize this speech? It was so tedious. "Even those who mean well and have good intentions eventually become corrupt. For that reason, even people who have done no evil with magic will soon be tempted beyond human endurance. Those who practice magic are already lost. Death is a kindness."

"What has happened, my King?" asked Geoffrey of Monmouth.

"My own servant, Merlin, has betrayed me by preforming magic," Arthur said. "It is now my duty, though I do not like it, to show the people of this kingdom that no one is above the law."

Merlin felt the accusing eyes of the entire court looking at him. He had imagined this so solemnly and sadly, and yet it was almost funny, now it was happening. What did they think that they could do to him?

"But Merlin has done more than anyone to help you, to make you the king you were meant to be. Arthur, he believed in you when no one else did. He saved your life. He even saved your father's life. Surely these are not the actions of someone who is trying to harm the kingdom," Queen Guinevere said.

"I am sure Merlin has done nothing to harm the kingdom. But he has betrayed us nonetheless by his refusal to follow our laws. Learning magic is a choice, and he should not have done it."

"Arthur, I was born magic, like a dragon or a unicorn. I had no choice in the matter," Merlin said.

"Like Morgana," Arthur said.

"Yes," Merlin grated out, not pleased with the comparison he had known Arthur would make. "But unlike her, I have no wish to cause you or anyone in this kingdom harm. In fact, I never want to hurt anyone. I was born magic, and have been doing it since before I could walk or talk. I think it unlikely that I will suddenly become corrupt now. I have no wish for your power. I have no wish to steal away your will, and make you change your mind about magic, although I could, easily enough."

"And why don't you?" Arthur asked.

"Because I think you will change your mind on your own, one day. Years ago you asked me if I thought it was possible that there could be good magic as well as evil magic. I do believe that. I always have. Magic is a tool, like your sword. You can use it to dominate and destroy, or you can use it to protect."

"These are the arguments men have used to convince themselves that they can withstand the dangers of preforming magic for centuries. You are fooling yourself," Arthur said. "However, the point is moot. You will be executed at dawn."

Merlin looked at his friend incredulously. After everything he'd done for that "princess"? Arthur's face was slightly sad, but his will was iron. Arthur must have been steeling himself for this moment during that silent ride back from the woods.

Merlin cleared his throat nervously. "No," he said.

"Pardon me?" Arthur said.

"Erm, no, I will not be executed at dawn," Merlin said.

"I'm sorry, Merlin, but you will. There are no exceptions to the law," Arthur said.

"Honestly, Arthur, I'd like to see you try. I'd like to see you and your knights and your entire army try. You have no idea what I am. What I am capable of. You have no idea. I will not be executed at dawn. I'll leave under my own power and return when you become more reasonable about magic," Merlin said. His voice now contained its own steel.

"Seize him," Arthur said.

Percival, Gwaine and Elyan were among the group that approached him. Merlin backed away slightly and raised his hand. "I have no wish to hurt you, but I will. Stand back and let me pass."

Gwaine lowered his sword backed away, and turned to Arthur, saying, "Sorry, but he's my friend."

"I said seize him!" Arthur shouted.

Merlin had no wish to cause problems between Arthur and the knights, so before anyone else could come down on his side, he raised his hand and said "Sleep" in the old tongue. All the guards and knights fell to the floor, some snoring soundly.

"I will return when the kingdom has need of me. Although judging by the amount of trouble the kingdom has had the last couple of years, that might mean I'm back tomorrow."

"You are exiled, then, Merlin," Arthur said, the option of execution having been taken off the table. "You must never return to Camelot."

"No, I'll come back whenever I want," Merlin said, smiling, "Unless you beg me to come back first," Merlin shot over his shoulder.

Merlin's last look at Arthur took away all the fun of having the last word. Although Arthur held Guinevere's hand, Merlin had never seen him look so alone.


	2. Chapter 2

Arthur felt the loss of his friend keenly at first, and then less so. But the sense that a certain amount of fun had gone out of life remained. Gwen missed Merlin too, in her quiet way. She said nothing to Arthur about it and made no attempt to change his mind, but he knew that she felt he had done the wrong thing. She was conflicted about magic, in a way it had cost her father his life, but she had always trusted Merlin.

Arthur had his wife, his knights, his lords, his entire government, but there was still something missing. He had counted on Merlin to always be there, and always be on his side.

It seemed he counted on Merlin to lighten his mood, his stress, and even his workload, so much he had trouble getting anything done without being irritable and stern. Before long people would mistakenly call him Uther, he thought to himself. Merlin had been able to make him look at things in a whole new light, or rather, Merlin had had a way of making the things Arthur wanted to do, the things he felt instinctively were right, seem like the most reasonable things in the world. Merlin had taught him to trust his instincts.

Trust his instincts? Now that was a laugh. Arthur had trusted Morgana, Agravaine, and Merlin, more than he had trusted anyone else in the world. And they had all betrayed him, in their turn.

Arthur did not, could not, believe that Merlin would have designs on the kingdom. He certainly didn't want Arthur dead, or he was the worse assassin in the world. Arthur knew in his heart that Merlin was on his side still, and it rankled like nothing else that Merlin would turn out to be the one person that Arthur could never have by his side again.

Magic had no place in the kingdom. It had been proven again and again.

Gaius, it seemed, had gotten old overnight. Perhaps Merlin had taken on more of the old man's burdens then Arthur had ever realized. Arthur assigned a servant to fetch and carry, but he knew exactly why it didn't help: why Merlin was irreplaceable. Merlin quite simply had a spark of intelligence, of fun, of humour, of….well, magic, in him, that could not be duplicated. Merlin had always been, for all his ridiculous clumsy faults, quite otherworldly. One felt privileged to know him, even if one happened to be a king.

All of which would be quite impossible to tell the court.

If he changed his mind now, most likely those people who had thrived under Uther's anti-magic regime would sense change coming and claim that Arthur had been enchanted. Merlin had even said he could change Arthur's mind using magic. In retrospect, Arthur wished he'd never told the people and court of Camelot his friend had magic, even though he firmly believed that every time Merlin used magic he was putting himself in danger of corruption.

Gaius arrived in the morning to tell Arthur about a sickness that had swept through the village. The man appeared to hold no resentment towards Arthur for sending his apprentice away, but Arthur felt the accusation that the man was overworked nonetheless. He doubled the servants assigned to Gaius and told him he could have whatever other assistance he needed. Gaius nodded his head wearily and went away.

"Visitors approach, my Lord," Leon said, poking his head in the door.

"Visitors?"

"A full retinue. Wearing Nemeth's colours," Leon added.

"Assemble some knights to greet them," Arthur said. "I'll be down shortly."

He fastened his cape around his shoulders and reached up to be sure his crown was on his head. It wasn't. He scanned the room with his eyes and finally he found it on the table, wondering at what point during the day he had cast it aside in irritation. He inevitably did so at some point. Merlin had usually been the one to pick it up and make sure no one made off with it. He supposed now he might be the first king to lose his crown simply because it made his head itch.

He jogged down the stairs, dreading the thought of any visitors wearing Nemeth's colours. Would they finally take umbrage at his treatment of Princess Mithian?

Arthur was waiting calmly by the time the small retinue entered the courtyard. He was beyond shocked to see it was Princess Mithian herself dismounting her horse.

"Hello again," Arthur said.

"I must bid you joy in your marriage," Mithian said.

_Oh, this isn't awkward at all_, Arthur thought. "My thanks. This is an unexpected visit, however, you are always welcome. Shall I have a servant take your things to a room?"

"I cannot stay. I have come here to desperately beg your help. I hope I can change horses and ride all night to return to my sick father. Your court physician is renowned as a man of wisdom and knowledge. I beg you to let me take him to my kingdom and treat my father."

"Let's walk to Gaius's quarters," Arthur said. He called to a servant to arrange for fresh horses for her return home. She fell in beside him without hesitation and they walked up the stairs to Gaius's rooms. "I had not heard that your father was ill."

"In truth, he is not. He has been poisoned, or so our physician says. Though he recognizes the effects are not natural, he cannot identify the poison. He says that Gaius wrote a book about curing poisons years ago, and said he was my father's best hope for a cure."

"I don't doubt it is true," Arthur said.

"Gaius?" Arthur called, walking in the door. "Gaius!" Arthur noticed that the door to the room that had once been Merlin's was closed. He opened it and looked in. Gaius was in bed. "Gaius? Are you ill?"

"I'm afraid so. Gwen has been here to make me more comfortable, and the servants you sent are seeing to the sick in the village. I hope there are no more cases? Do you have need of me?"

"Princess Mithian just arrived. Her father has been poisoned, and she hoped you could go back with her to Nemeth to treat him. It appears you are unable to go—but perhaps she could describe the symptoms to you, and you could tell her how to treat the poison."

"Well, I could try."

Mithian remained in the doorway and described her father's symptoms.

Gaius listened intently, but his attention seemed to drift. He was really ill.

"What's going on in here?" It was Gwen. Things were going from bad to worse. Not only was he bugging one of Gwen's patients, but he was bugging him with an ex-fiancée. Not good.

Haltingly Arthur described the situation. Gwen pushed Arthur and Mithian out the door without any answers from Gaius and stayed inside to check on him.

"Your wife?" Mithian asked shortly.

"She cares a great deal for Gaius," Arthur said.

"He is too old and too sick to help me. She was right to throw us out. I would hate to cause injury to someone else in my haste to help my father," Mithian said, but she looked sick with worry and there were tears in her eyes.

Arthur said nothing, but Gwen spoke from the door, which she had recently opened and shut again quietly. "There is another way. Merlin could help. Gaius assures me he possesses most of Gaius's knowledge, and could find out more besides."

"Your servant Merlin? I had no idea he was a physician. Could you spare him to help?"

"Merlin has been banished from court for using magic," Gwen said.

"Magic? Although my father would hate it, I would welcome a physician who could perform magic right now," Mithian said.

"I know how you feel. Even I sought out magic to save my father's life, although it did no good. But I do not know where to find Merlin," Arthur said.

"He lives not far from here. It is even on your way back to Nemeth. I could take you, but I am busy looking after Gaius. Perhaps Gwaine could take you," Gwen said.

"Does everyone in the kingdom know where he is?" Arthur asked.

"I suppose anyone who cares to know, does. Have they been given fresh horses?" Gwen asked.

Arthur nodded. "Let's send for Gwaine and you can be on your way. I hope Merlin is able to help you with your problem."

"Thank you both for all of your help. I hope Gaius is better soon," Mithian said. In fifteen minutes time she and Gwaine and her whole retinue were on their way to Merlin. Arthur wished he was with them.


	3. Chapter 3

Merlin was bored.

There was no other name for it. He had never been inactive for so many months at once. Merlin was more inclined to overwork than laze about, despite what Arthur thought.

Merlin was beginning to think he should go back to Ealdor. He wouldn't be close at hand in case something bad happened in Camelot, but at least there would be fields to plow and sheep to sheer and things to do. He did whatever distilling tasks he could for Gaius from his cave, and occasionally druids stopped by to ask him for magical assistance, but otherwise he was bored, bored, bored.

No wonder most of the sorcerers Merlin knew had gone mad. They'd been sitting in their caves and hovels, thinking about revenge, and they'd gone off the deep end.

Merlin hadn't been plotting revenge, per se, but he had thought up some mischief he could do while invisible. Invisibility was a new spell he had been working on, but had not yet perfected. He could steal the cook's tarts and put them on Geoffrey's desk in the library, and then tip the cook off that there was a smell of raspberry coming from that part of the castle. Or steal one of Geoffrey's books and put it in Leon's room, then have one of the maids say… It wasn't really evil to cause mischief, was it? But maybe that was how it started.

Well, one thing was for sure. He had enough time to keep his cave tidy. It was spotless. Arthur would have no reason to criticise his housekeeping skills these days.

He had a small cave with a brook running through it carrying clean, cool spring water. There was a hole in the ceiling, which acted as a flue for his fire, over which a stew was now bubbling comfortingly. He had a bench with burners and distillers and any food or ingredients he might need to make himself dinner, remedies, or concoctions for Gaius's stores. There was a slightly tippy bed, which he had been meaning to prop level with a wedge of cedar, and a small table.

He had no need for a big table. Not many people stopped by his cave. Only Gwen, Gwaine, and occasionally Gaius, had ever stopped by, although Gaius never stayed as long as either Merlin or Gaius would wish, because Gaius complained of the damp. Merlin blamed the creek, but it was nice to have running water right in the house.

"Well, there's nothing else for it. I've got to go get the cedar wedge for the bed. Can't have a tippy bed," Merlin muttered. He proceeded out to the woodpile, noticing the sound of horse-hooves approaching.

Merlin's heart raced with excitement. Was it wrong that he was hoping it was bandits? He really needed some entertainment, and knocking a few bandits around would be a good way to pass an afternoon.

"Merlin!" Gwaine said from atop his brown horse. "You're needed."

"In Camelot?" Merlin asked doubtfully.

"No, I'm afraid not," said the veiled, female rider. She lifted her veil and he saw it was Mithian of Nemeth. "Gaius is ill, and so I was hoping you could accompany me home and treat my father for the poison I fear he's been dosed with."

"It's not serious, I hope," Merlin said, addressing the question to Gwaine.

"Just an illness that is passing through," Gwaine said.

Merlin smiled, though there was some awkwardness because of how unfriendly he had been to Mithian in the past. "I will see what I can do about the poison. I'll even help you find out who poisoned him and see that they're punished. But I don't have a horse."

"Take mine. I'll walk back to Camelot. There's a lot of taverns between here and there, to, you know, take shelter in if it rains," Gwaine said.

"And I suppose you wouldn't be welcome in Nemeth," Merlin guessed.

"They might welcome my head on the chopping block, but anywhere else, I sincerely doubt it," Gwaine said, dismounting.

"Give me five minutes to gather some things. I'll have to get some poison remedies together and some clothes…there's a stream if you want to give the horses a bit of a break while I do that," Merlin said.

Merlin was putting as many rare ingredients in his satchel as he could fit when Mithian walked in.

"Life has been rough for you since Arthur banished you," Mithian said.

"Not rough. This cave is luxurious compared to the hut I grew up in. There's running water and all. It's been more boring than rough. And I was never banished. Well, Arthur wanted to execute me or exile me, but I wouldn't let him. Notice how I am still in his kingdom? I go where I want to. I could go back to the village where my mother lives, or make a new life somewhere else. But my destiny is still in Camelot. I just need Arthur to realize it."

"And your destiny is?" Mithian asked.

"What are your father's symptoms?" Merlin asked, ignoring the question and paying close attention to the herbs he was putting in his satchel.

"He is sick to his stomach, weak, pale…"

"Anything unexpected? Unusual?"

"His fingertips are black," Mithian said.

"Ah-ha," Merlin said.

"That tells you something? Do you know what kind of poison it was?"

"It tells me the family of poison it comes from," Merlin said. "Well, I think that's all I can do from here. Let's get going."

"Thank you. I know I'm not your favourite person. It means a lot that you would even try," Mithian said.

"I never had any problem with you. I was angry with Arthur for not knowing what he really wanted. You seemed lovely, which only made what Arthur was doing worse. I knew he still loved Gwen. It would have been a disaster if he'd married you and still loved another. It was the disaster I had a problem with, never you," Merlin said.

"Well, thank you, again," Mithian said. She smiled softly and turned away, and Merlin followed.

"Good luck, my friend," Gwaine said, grasping Merlin's elbow and then changing his mind and giving Merlin a hug. Gwaine's immediate and unceasing friendship had always been a bit of a mystery to Merlin, but it was also a comfort.

Merlin mounted Gwaine's horse and they rode at a quick enough pace to discourage conversation until it was too dark to ride on.

"We can continue on if we lead the horses," Mithian said.

Merlin knew better than to argue with a princess worried about her sick father, but the knight who had escorted her told Mithian firmly that they would get there no sooner by floundering around in the dark. In fact, he argued, a horse would likely become lame and they would be forced to go even slower, and that was the best case scenario. Reluctantly Mithian dismounted and sat tensely beside the fire.

Merlin was not sure she even knew he was there until she asked a quiet question. "What if he's already dead?"

"You've done what you can. Death comes to us all, and it seems, especially to kings," Merlin said.

"My father was kind. He was not stern or cruel. The people loved him. Why would someone poison him?"

"One thing I've learned is that no matter how a king rules his kingdom, there will always be someone who feels they have been made a victim by him," Merlin said. "A king cannot please everyone."

"Or it could be someone who desires the throne for themselves," Mithian said.

"I promise you I will stay in Nemeth until you know the answer to that question, whatever happens with your father. If he dies, or is incapacitated in some way, things could get very dangerous for you. I suspect that you can handle yourself quite ably, but I have some rather specialized talents that come in handy when things get dangerous," Merlin said.

"Your kindness has been the one bright light in this darkest time in my life. Thank you," Mithian said. She stared into the fire, and Merlin could tell she was trying to keep herself from crying. Finally she spoke again. "Perhaps I should acquaint you with the situation at home. I have three sisters and no brothers, and it has not been the tradition in our kingdom for women to inherit the throne."

"So you suspect none of your sisters?"

"I did not say that. My sisters are all married. Glenna is married to a foreign king who has no interest in expanding into Nemeth, but Farine and Alea are both married to local lords who have some claim to the throne," Mithia said.

"And how does one establish a claim to the throne?" Merlin asked.

"They must be direct descendants, and my sisters married their cousins," Mithia said.

"To strengthen their claim on the throne?" Merlin asked.

"Yes, or rather, that was why their husbands wanted to marry them. I suspect now that they have children, my sisters would want their children to inherit. There is also my uncle Tobias. He is a younger brother, and has grown convinced that he deserves the throne because we were all girls."

"Well, wouldn't he?" Merlin asked.

"Technically, yes, but he was never able to have children so that wouldn't make succession any easier on anyone. He has been sickly since he was a child, and the court physician doesn't think he will last the year. It is possible that he poisoned my father so he would get to be king before he died. He has mountains of debts, and the rumour is he wants to make his debts go away with royal favours, and make his mistress nobility and things like that."

"I find it very hard to believe that the family you are describing managed to produce someone like you," Merlin said.

"Why do you think I liked Arthur so much and so quickly? He was nice and awkward and normal, like boys you hear about from the servants. He did not try to be false, or charming, or anything. I cared for him because he was so different from anything I knew. I hope that you are as powerful as you say you are, Merlin, because we are going into real danger. I suspect most of the people at court will be surprised to see me. They all thought I was running to avoid the fray. I probably should. But I love my father. He managed to somehow stay above it all."

"Then you must take after him," Merlin said.

Merlin was surprised by the gratitude in Mithian's smile.


	4. Chapter 4

The party arrived in Nemeth, without incident, in the early afternoon. They reached the royal palace by the late afternoon, and were greeted by a restrained welcome, that to Merlin, smacked of mourning.

"Are we too late?" Merlin asked a servant quietly.

"I'm afraid the king died only hours after the princess left to find help," the servant said.

Merlin looked at Mithian. She was standing with her sisters on the other side of the courtyard, and she had obviously just heard herself. She was trying to contain her tears, but failing. Her sisters ushered her away, and Merlin was left at loose ends.

"I think I heard you say last night you wanted to help find out who did this. Would speaking to our court physician help?" asked the knight who had escorted them.

"Very much," said Merlin. "We haven't properly met, have we? I'm Merlin."

"I am Sir Gilbert," the man said. He was heavy set and fair haired, and his manner with Mithian had reminded Merlin of Sir Leon. The man was obliging, but obviously trusted enough that he felt comfortable speaking his mind. "I can take you to him now, or I can take you to your rooms if you prefer."

"Take me to the physician first," Merlin said. He didn't want to say it out loud, because it sounded ghoulish, but he wanted to examine the king's body, if possible.

"Yes, my lord," Sir Gilbert said.

Merlin chuckled. "I'm pretty far from a lord, Sir Gilbert. You probably have dogs with better lineage than I have."

"Those with magic tended to be given titles of respect, in my father's day," Sir Gilbert said.

"Oh, well, alright," Merlin said. _Just another thing Uther took from me_, Merlin thought to himself, although he suspected if he had been a nobleman, he might have been one like Gwaine, who had denied all association with nobility for years.

"Here it is," Sir Gilbert said, knocking on the door.

"Thank you," said Merlin.

Eventually a man of middle years with steel-grey hair and an abstracted expression on his face answered the door. "What is this?" he asked Sir Gilbert vaguely.

"I am Gaius's former apprentice. Gaius is ill. I hoped I could consult with you, and perhaps examine the king's body, if he is not lying in state yet," Merlin said.

The man's eyes lit up. "Oh yes. Do come in. The king's body is here, but I had no real idea how to examine it. I have never been an authority on poison. I did have Gaius's book on the subject, but I seem to have misplaced it…"

Merlin walked in the room. It was rather like Gaius's quarters, only more luxurious and far, far, more cluttered. Merlin imagined the book on poisons was likely somewhere within reach, but he had absolute confidence that it would be nearly impossible to find. "Don't worry. I've brought my copy. Would you like to have a look?"

Merlin took out his copy of the book and handed it to the man, who sat down to read, and seemed to forget Merlin's existence. "Is the king's body close by?" Merlin asked, before the man became too absorbed.

"In the examination chamber next door," the man said.

Merlin marvelled that the man had not even introduced himself yet. He made Gaius seem like a statesman and diplomat. Merlin looked at Sir Gilbert, who Merlin imagined was trying to find a graceful way to leave Merlin without seeming to abandon him.

"Would you like to join me in the next room?" Merlin asked. He did not feel comfortable being alone with a foreign king's body—after all, he knew hardly anyone in this kingdom.

"He is very good friends with the king's brother. They grew up together, and Anders has sacrificed having his own family to better look after Prince Tobias. It is for that reason that the royal family trusts him as they do, and for that reason he has the great honour of being the court physician," Sir Gilbert said.

_Not because of any particular talent for healing_, Merlin surmised from Sir Gilbert's comments.

Merlin noted the examination room was huge and had five beds—it was a far cry from Gaius's small quarters. The king was laid out on the bed furthest from the door, and Mithian was sitting on the bed, crying softly. She looked up at Merlin as he entered the room.

"Forgive me, I will come back," Merlin said.

"No, come and do your examination," Mithian said. "That is, if you think I could stand to be here while you examine him."

"Some people remove the liver to look for poison, but because I am using magic, I only need a few drops of blood." Merlin made a small incision on the king's wrist and took a few drops of blood and placed them on several different plates.

He put a different poison on each plate and then preformed a spell which would make the herb or powder that was closest in its makeup to the poison in the blood glow. It was nothing Gaius had ever taught him; in fact, he had learned it from a druid. He said the spell and immediately the arsenic began to glow.

"What is that?" asked Mithian.

"Arsenic," Merlin said.

"How does knowing that help us?" Mithian asked.

"Arsenic is usually ingested in food or drink, not administered using a needle or poisoned knife," Merlin said.

"So if we can find out who was serving his meals—" Sir Gilbert began.

"Then we can find out who paid them to poison my father," Mithian finished.

"It isn't necessarily meals. It could be a cup made with arsenic that he drank out of. It could have even been an accident," Merlin said.

"But we won't know that until we investigate," Mithian said.

"That's right. We should talk to everyone who came in contact with your father for the last—wait, was he confused at all recently? Or dizzy? Or did this all come on suddenly?" Merlin asked.

"The first he complained about a sore stomach, or anything out of the ordinary, was four days before he died," Mithian said.

"So we need to speak to anyone who had contact with him, for say, the last week. If Sir Gilbert is agreeable, he and I can handle this. You must mourn your father," Merlin said.

"I can talk to the Stewart, and get the two of you anything you require to have an inquiry. You may face some resentment, because you are a foreigner, but having Sir Gilbert with you should lessen that," Mithian said.

"I will find out why this happened," Merlin said, taking Mithian's hand and looking into her bloodshot eyes. "I promise you."

"I will leave it in your hands," Mithian said.

Merlin and Sir Gilbert left together to go to Merlin's quarters, and Merlin turned to the knight. "I'm sorry I volunteered you for this. I'm afraid I don't know much about your kingdom, and need someone's help during this investigation."

"I am honoured to be involved, and grateful to be able to serve Princess Mithian," Sir Gilbert said. "And more than that, I am grateful to be able to serve my late king one last time."


	5. Chapter 5

Merlin sat at a table in Mithian's drawing room, ready to interrogate those people who had had contact with the king in the last sennight. He was reminded of the witchfinder, and all the other times he'd been questioned for things and had had to lie to hide his magic—now here he was, a known magic user, conducting an investigation of his own.

Or rather, conducting an investigation for Mithian. Merlin was a little bit incredulous that she was putting so much trust in him—but he supposed she was judging him by the amount of trust Arthur had put in him before he'd known about the magic. Somehow she'd known within a day of meeting Arthur that the man trusted Merlin more than anyone else, and considering the fact that Merlin was not sure that Arthur even realized that about himself, she must be an excellent judge of character.

Merlin and Sir Gilbert had spent much of the previous night compiling a list of all of the people who had access to the king with the help of Mithian, her sisters, and the king's chamberlain, who kept excellent notes of the king's activities.

They had summoned everyone together and explained that the king had been poisoned, and they were looking for anyone with information, consequently they were interviewing everyone. They had debated lying about what had really happened to the king, but they had decided in the end that there would be nothing gained by lying.

The captain of the guard, who would usually conduct this kind of interview, was relieved that he was not going to be executed because the king had been murdered on his watch. So relieved, in fact, that he had been extremely helpful in rounding up suspects and keeping order in the hallway outside, where chairs had been set up.

"Are you ready for the first interview?" the man asked.

"Send him in," said Merlin.

"Describe your meeting with the king," Merlin asked.

The man proceeded to tell about the conversation he had had with the king about the venison stew in minute detail. After he left Sir Gilbert turned to Merlin. "This is going to be an extremely dull day, isn't it?"

"Oh yes," Merlin said. "But there has to be something to be learned here."

In the end, after two solid days of interviews, they learned more from the people who didn't show up than from those who did. A kitchen servant and two upstairs maids never showed. When the captain went to their rooms to find out where they were, they were found dead.

"We should search their rooms. I've often found evidence of crimes by going through a person's belongings. It sounds noisy, I know, but it is often the best way to find out about a person who is lying," Merlin said to Sir Gilbert.

"Anything has to be better than conducting interviews," Sir Gilbert, shuddering.

"Even men of action must occasionally solve their problems through words," Merlin laughed.

"Essentially, if you had just asked everyone who had contact with the king to attend a meeting and took note of the people who didn't come, you would have gotten the same answer," Sir Gilbert said.

"Or I suppose we could have just waited until they started to smell," Merlin said.

"Or I suppose if they had not been murdered, we might have learned a great deal from them. All three were on the list, after all," Sir Gilbert said in a conciliatory tone.

Merlin smiled. Sir Gilbert had not revealed much of his personality at first, but after hours of working on their tedious task together, he had shown himself to be a restless man who loved action, and had a dry sense of humour.

Merlin was in the novel position of rifling through someone's belongings with the full support of the captain of the guard, the royal family, and the other people who lived there. Usually there was a lot more stealth and trickery involved. The first person whose belongings they examined was one of the upstairs maids. She had nothing unusual, except a rather large bag of gold for a maid.

"Why wouldn't they take the gold back when they killed her?" Sir Gilbert asked.

"Perhaps they were in a hurry. Or they have too much gold to worry about such a small amount. Or perhaps the person who killed her was hired to do so, and knew nothing about the gold," Merlin said.

There was a similar story in the room of the other maid—nothing that would tell them anything, but a lot of gold.

The real breakthrough came when they examined the room of the kitchen servant. Merlin found a compartment in a desk drawer that opened and revealed a large bag of gold, and some letters.

"How did you find that? Magic?" Sir Gilbert asked.

"No, but we practiced liars and tricksters always find a way to conceal the truth about ourselves," Merlin grinned. Sir Gilbert looked a little shocked but grinned back and reached for one of the letters.

"Which one's the first?" Merlin asked.

"This one," Sir Gilbert said. He read the letter aloud.

_Per our conversation in the tavern the other night, I do have an idea as to how you could earn a little more blunt. The king is sick—but he won't hear anyone's worry. He insists that he's fine. I have a tonic that will make him right as rain, only no way to slip it to him. Please come back to the tavern if you think you could help me. No one must know if it._

_Signed, Your Friend_

"So the kitchen boy might not have known what the man was about," Sir Gilbert speculated.

"I don't know. He'd have to be an idiot not to suspect something," Merlin said.

"People are often far stupider than you would ever think possible," Sir Gilbert said.

"I suppose. Here is the next," Merlin said.

_The king is sick, make no mistake. And if the cure kills him, well, it was his own fool fault for going ahead with his plans. He will ruin everything, and shame us all, besides. If you need more gold, you've only to ask. You are too small a fish to think you can blackmail me with your suspicions. What is your number? Name your price. Have you found a way around the maid? The trip from the kitchen to the breakfast room is the only time any meal is left alone. See to it._

_Signed, Your Friend_

"Not so stupid after all," Merlin said.

"And yet he was stupid enough to get in bed with a traitor, who killed him to cover his tracks," Sir Gilbert said.

"There is that," Merlin conceded. "This is the final letter."

_Everything went according to plan, thank god. Be in your room tonight—I am going to drop by with another bag of gold for you for a job well done. _

_Signed, Your Friend_

"Why the last letter?" Merlin asked.

"Perhaps he wanted to prevent him from going to the tavern and bragging before he had a chance to kill him," Sir Gilbert said.

"Or maybe he needed to speak to him before he killed the girls—maybe he didn't know one or both of their names," Merlin said.

"What do we do now?" Sir Gilbert asked.

"We must take these notes to Mithian. I don't know what this plan of the king's that would shame us all could be. Would us mean the royal family? Or maybe it means the entire kingdom? Perhaps she would know," Merlin said.

Mithian had no idea what the note would be referring to, and she hesitated to ask anyone else in her family, in case they were involved.

"So the person who killed my father is the one who knew of this plan he had, that could possibly bring shame on us," Mithian said.

"If we knew what the plan was, we could set a trap for them," Merlin said.

"But how can we possibly know what my father's plan was? He's dead," Mithian said.

"Have you gone through all of your father's papers and correspondence?" Merlin asked.

"So thoroughly I thought my eyes might start bleeding. I am very glad I am not in line for the throne, as there is far too much correspondence about turnips for my taste. Whoever did this was close enough to know the king's plan's, and close enough to him to cover his tracks."

"Well, we must think of another way, then. We cannot speak with the dead," Sir Gilbert said.

"It's not…impossible…to speak with the dead," Merlin murmured.

"Are you serious?" asked Sir Gilbert.

"I think we should travel to the lake of Avalon. Only there can we learn the truths the dead know," Merlin said.

"Mithian, you should stay here and watch your uncle's coronation. He will suspect you of suspecting him, otherwise," Sir Gilbert said.

"How could I not suspect him? He is the only one who benefits from my father's death, and the only one who would know any secret plans that my father had," Mithian said. "He must know that I suspect him already. I might as well find the evidence we need to see him discredited and punished."

"But this could be dangerous," Sir Gilbert said.

"Think about it, Sir Gilbert. My uncle probably killed my father, his own brother, and all of his co-conspirators. He knows you, and I, and Merlin are investigating. Why wouldn't he try to kill us to protect his secret? We're probably a lot safer away from the castle in another kingdom," said Mithian.

"Besides, I promised to protect Mithian. We need to stick together for now," Merlin said.

"I'll alert the stables to ready our horses and gather some provisions," Sir Gilbert said.

"Will this really work, Merlin?" Mithian asked.

"I hope so," said Merlin.


	6. Chapter 6

Merlin, Mithian, Sir Gilbert and several guards set off the next morning at dawn. They were not dressed in Nemeth's colours because they didn't go on official business, and Mithian didn't relish the idea of having a conversation with King Arthur about going into his kingdom to talk with her dead father in a magical lake if they were picked up by some passing patrol.

They rode at a quick pace, and were over the border just around the dinner hour. They were thinking about stopping to set up camp and make something to eat when Sir Gilbert heard horses approaching.

"Bandits?" Mithian asked.

"Bandits who can afford horses wouldn't bother with a party as small as ours. They wait for caravans. Unless they know who we are," Merlin said.

"Assassins, then," Mithian said firmly, but her eyes were frightened.

"I won't let anyone hurt you," Merlin said. He looked directly into her eyes, and she nodded, apparently strengthened by his words.

The bandits burst into view. Merlin grabbed the reins of Mithian's horse and rode out of the way of the fray. He dismounted over a small knoll and secured his horse, and by the time he returned to Mithian he saw she had done the same. Metal clashed against metal, but there were far more bandits than their allies.

"Time to even the score," said Mithian, loading her crossbow.

"My thoughts exactly," Merlin said. He threw three bandits backwards against trees in quick succession, and Mithian dealt with two more with her crossbow. One of the bandits noticed the arrows flying and followed their path back to the knoll.

"She must be up there," He said, pointing in the direction of Merlin and Mithian's hiding spot.

Five men joined him and ran away from the body of the battle, which seemed to have turned in Sir Gilbert's favour since Mithian and Merlin's assistance.

Merlin muttered a spell that would cause each of the men to think the others were their worst enemies, and they promptly began to fight each until they were all either dead or unconscious.

"I suppose that is down to you," Sir Gilbert said, pointing to the six men who had destroyed each other, riding up after having dealt with all the other bandits with the soldiers.

"Magic does have its advantages," Merlin said.

"Come, we must get out of here quickly. We have not much time until the sun sets, and I would like to leave this place well behind before we make camp," Sir Gilbert said.

"Are there any injuries?" Mithian asked.

"Some men have flesh wounds. They are still able to ride," Sir Gilbert said.

"Will the bandits follow us?" Mithian asked. Merlin knew she was reluctantly contemplating giving the order to kill all survivors.

"I will make sure no one can follow our trail," Merlin said. He did a spell which made it look like their tracks returned to Nemeth, and concealed their tracks towards the Lake of Avalon.

"Did you hear that one bandit, my lady?" Sir Gilbert asked as they rode away.

"Yes, he said 'she must be up there'," Mithian said. "They were looking for me. They truly were assassins sent to kill me."

They rode for as long as they dared, and then and made camp near a small stream. Merlin almost jumped to make supper before he realized that that was not his duty. He felt a little awkward without a job to do, but Sir Gilbert had brought enough soldiers to collect wood, prepare dinner and watch all night. He suddenly remembered the injured soldiers.

"I can heal the sick, if you like," Merlin said, almost shyly. He did not know if the soldiers would be as eager to make use of magic as Mithian and Sir Gilbert seemed to be. There had never been as much persecution of magic in Nemeth as there had been in Camelot, but the king had honoured his treaties with Uther, and denounced magic.

Sir Gilbert went and rounded up the men. Merlin washed the first man's wound. It was a sword slice that was much more than superficial. Without the use of magic, the arm would likely have to come off, and the man's life still wouldn't be saved. Merlin looked at the man. He was middle aged, and likely had a family at home who needed him. What was more, he was an experienced soldier who would have known he shouldn't travel with his arm so injured. He had rode on, simply to protect his princess, knowing he would likely die.

"You are a brave man, to get on your horse with a wound like that," Merlin said.

"Will I die?" the man asked.

"Not if I can help it," Merlin said. "What is your name?"

"They call me Nonny," he said. "If I live, I'll tell you why."

"I'd like that," Merlin said. He concentrated his healing powers on the arm, and also concentrated on the man himself. It helped to know he was selfless and good. He murmured a few words in the old tongue, and then looked at the wound again. It was much improved, but not fully closed. He did a spell to help the man's blood replace itself faster and one to prevent infection, and then he wrapped the still open wound. This was an old druid technique he had recently learned from a travelling healer. He placed some Astragalus on the bandage and bound it into the bandage, and then strengthened the healing power of the herb with his magic. When he removed the bandage, the wound was completely healed.

"Well ain't he a handy fellow," Noddy said to Mithian in wonder, forgetting himself and addressing royalty directly.

"He certainly is," Mithian said, smiling.

"I am sworn to Nemeth for three more months, but after that, I would be honoured if you would accept me as your servant," Noddy said to Merlin.

Merlin was taken aback. "I wouldn't know what to do with a servant. I live in a cave."

"A cave? With power like that, you could have a palace," the man said.

"Could you call the next person, please?" Merlin asked Sir Gilbert, a pained expression on his face. He had always thought he wanted gratitude and recognition for the things he could do, but he wasn't so sure now. He was pretty sure he liked not having to endure constant thank yous for things that were not really that taxing to him. Somehow it felt mildly dishonest.

When all the injured were treated, they all went to bed.

They rode all the next day, and then camped again. By midday of the third day, they arrived in the area of the forest that was near the Lake of Avalon.

"We should probably make camp here," Merlin said. "I must go to the lake alone."

"But my father—"Mithian began.

"I will ask if you are allowed to see him, but I suspect the answer is no," Merlin said.

"They why would you be able to talk to him?" Mithian asked.

"I suspect I'm not entirely human," Merlin said vaguely. He had often wondered exactly what a Dragonlord was—was he part faerie? He had been able to use the Sidhe weapons, and he had been able to visit the Lake of Avalon whenever he chose.

Mithian did not appear to be happy with his response, but she did not argue. Merlin left the rest of the party to set up camp, and he set off alone to try to tempt the lady out of her lake.


	7. Chapter 7

Mithian excused herself from the group on the pretext that she needed to freshen up in the creek, but really, she followed Merlin. She did not know if he could sense her following him, but she had to try anyway. If he was somehow going to see her father, she wanted to hear what he had to say.

Mithian was a good hunter, and prided herself on her ability to get close to prey before she took it. Merlin did not so much as look around. Did he know she was there? If he did, he said nothing to her.

Merlin walked quickly through the woods, and then seemed to disappear into a mist that did not seem entirely natural, it being a fine, sunny and warm day. Mithian threw away all caution and ran to the place where he had gone, and somehow managed to follow him through the mist.

When she emerged from the mist, she hid herself behind a low-lying bush. She looked around at the scene in front of her. The lake was beautiful—peaceful and still, and surrounded by mountains. Merlin stood at the shore of the lake and then spoke some words, these ones sounding older and more guttural than the ones he usually used to perform spells.

Nothing happened. Merlin waited with what seemed like patience. Mithian wondered what he expected to happen. Then Merlin began to walk forward toward the lake, and Mithian strained to see what he was reacting to.

She would remember the sight for the rest of her life, although she spoke of it on only one or two occasions. From the centre of lake, starting with the crown of her head and coming straight up, emerged a completely dry, beautiful, goddess, clad all in white, from her flowing and shapeless dress richly decorated in pearls to her dainty slippers. Her hair curled darkly around her head, and a top her head sat a crown of lilies and pearls.

She floated gently across the lake and then came to rest on the shore, close by Merlin's side.

Mithian was surprised that, instead of doing some scary goddess thing, like demand a human sacrifice or speak angrily at Merlin for summoning her, she threw her arms around him and held him tight.

"Merlin, I'm so happy to see you. I've missed you so much," she said.

"I've missed you ever day, Freya," Merlin said. They embraced again, and this time the embrace included a passionate kiss.

Mithian was confused. Who was this Freya? Merlin had never told her he had some goddess lover. But why would he? They barely knew each other. And just because he was smart and capable and magical and beautiful in a pixyish kind of way, and just because he had protected her without asking for anything in return, well, that didn't really mean anything. There was certainly no reason to think he…Mithian tried to control her racing thoughts, realizing she was jealous. She rejected the thought as soon as she thought it. She wasn't really jealous. She'd never thought of Merlin in that way, but she had thought of him as the only one standing between her and the ruin of her kingdom, and the only one who could protect her from being assassinated. It made sense that she would grow attached. But she certainly wasn't jealous.

But why did Freya have to be so beautiful?

"Why have you come, my love? You must know it is not permitted for you to summon me just to see me again," said Freya.

"I was hoping that I could talk to King Kalem of Nemeth," Merlin said.

"He is dead, Merlin. The dead cannot talk," Freya said.

"Nemeth is reeling after the shock of his murder. The kingdom could be thrown into chaos. Already people suspect the king who was just crowned of his murder. We have to find out what really happened before the country is plunged into civil war," Merlin said.

"We? Why are you meddling in Nemeth's affairs, Merlin? It is your destiny to serve Camelot, not Nemeth," Freya said.

"Princess Mithian came to me to ask for help when her father was poisoned. Arthur doesn't want me in Camelot, so I went where I could be of some use," Merlin said.

"A victim of murder is not permitted to give the name of the man who killed him," Freya said.

"All I want to know is what plan he had that might shame his family or his kingdom," Merlin said. "And Mithian asked if she could see her father one last time."

"No Merlin, she will not be permitted to see him again. Such things are not for mortal eyes. If she went to the land of the dead, she would never return. You must travel with me to the land of the dead, and speak to him yourself, there," Freya said.

"When? What must I do to prepare?" Merlin asked.

"Take my hand. I will guide you through the waters," Freya said.

Mithian was worried for Merlin, and leapt up from her hiding spot. "No, Merlin, you mustn't do this. It's too dangerous! Please don't go to the land of the dead for me."

Neither Merlin nor Freya seemed surprised to see her, leading Mithian to believe they had known she was there the whole time. She suddenly felt like a child surrounded by adults she didn't know: insecure and scared.

Freya looked at her kindly, lessening her embarrassment at having obviously just spied on them. She reached over and patted Mithian shoulder in a strangely motherly way. "Merlin is the one person in the world who will never need your protection, and he is also the one person in the world whom I could never harm. I love him with everything that I am. I would not be what I am today without his love. Will you promise to take care of him for me?" she asked.

"I promise to take care of him, but you must promise me that he will be alright," Mithian said. She had tears in her eyes, and she didn't trust this Freya to bring Merlin back. "She said no mortal would return from the land of the dead, and she obviously loves you. What makes you think she won't trap you there forever?"

"I will be safe, Mithian," Merlin said gently. "You must go back to the camp. I will rejoin you soon."

"How will I know if you are alright? How long will it take?" Mithian asked. She brushed the tears out of her eyes impatiently.

"I no longer have a mortal sense of time," Freya said in a tone of apology. "Go back to your camp. If it takes longer than a night and a day, return to your land, and Merlin will follow."

"You promised to protect me," Mithian said.

"I will. Go back now, please," Merlin said.

"I will take great comfort in knowing Merlin has someone who cares so deeply for him," Freya said.

Merlin took Freya's hand and they both floated towards the centre of the lake, and then descended into its depths without causing a ripple.

"Merlin, please, remember to come back to me," Mithian said, sobbing. She did not know how long she remained on the bank, crying. She'd never considered herself weak, but the thought of going back to the mess at the castle without Merlin to take charge made her so frightened—and even without that, the thought of facing life without Merlin somewhere in the world seemed so terrible and dull.

She needed him to survive.

She was becoming increasingly aware of the fact that she was in love with Merlin. It wouldn't do her any good, of course, because he was in love with Freya, and whether or not she could argue with herself that Freya had given her permission to pursue Merlin just now, it wouldn't change the way Merlin felt.

He had never looked at Mithian the way he looked at Freya, and she was fairly certain he never would.


	8. Chapter 8

Merlin walked back to the camp midmorning, somewhat wild-eyed and disheveled.

Mithian had never said what happened after she followed Merlin—Gilbert had been sure that was where she had gone, and so had not sent out a search party for her when a chore that should have taken a quarter of an hour ended up taking three—but when she had returned she had been tense, teary-eyed and frightened.

It must have been dangerous, whatever ritual Merlin had performed to speak to the king. Otherwise why had Mithian been so worried the entire time Merlin had been away? Gilbert wondered what the king would say, summoned to the attention of a ragamuffin sorcerer like Merlin, who seemed years too young to possess the power that he did.

The soldiers were instructed to break camp and ready the horses, and Merlin filled Gilbert and Mithian in on what he learned.

"Your father knew exactly what I meant when I described the shameful plan he had. He told me that years before you or your sisters were born, he had a lover. She was a village girl, beautiful and good, but also poor and naïve. They both knew she could never be a queen, and he had never really considered it as an option. She went away to live with her uncle when her uncle had his first child and his wife died in childbirth. He learned only a few months ago that she was pregnant when she left the castle," Merlin said.

"I'll wager she had a boy," Mithian said.

"Yes, he was a boy. Apparently he is the very image of your father, in his youth. A courtier mistook him for one of your cousins, and then asked the king discreetly about any children your aunts or uncles might have had in that village. He paid the man off, implying that he was a distant relative who no one wanted to come to light, for he had recognized the name of the village and figured out this man must be his son," Merlin said.

"But a village raised man would not be fit to rule a kingdom like Nemeth. Did he mean to make him his heir? That would have been a death sentence," Mithian said.

"Remember, your father had no intention of dying. He was only fifty, and could anticipate many more years of health. He wanted to bring the man to the castle and groom him to be a king. Teach him to dress, and think, and scheme and strategize as a king would. I asked him why he didn't simply groom one of your cousins in the same way, and he said that his brother would have the right to rule before a nephew, and his entire focus was on preventing your uncle from ever gaining the throne."

"But if that is so, then why would he tell Tobias the truth about all of this? Why wouldn't he keep his plans to himself?" Gilbert asked.

"That is the sad irony of the situation. Tobias had always let on to Kalem that being king was his deepest, darkest, fear, and that he would do anything to avoid being made king. Because he was the heir to the throne, he always let on that he was alright with taking the throne in public, but in private he acted as though he would prefer death to kingship."

"I heard my father say something that hinted at that before, but I dismissed it in a moment. I have never known such a grasping, ambitious man as Tobias in my life," Mithian said.

"Kalem saw his brother as a weak and feeble man, both physically and morally, did not consider him fit to be king. He seemed surprised Tobias had even been able to pull off his plan to kill him," Merlin said.

"So what do we do with this information? I can't think of a way to use a natural son to make a trap," Mithian said.

Merlin looked at Mithian strangely. "You seem to be taking this information fairly well. Did you suspect your father might have other children?"

"He was a man, and by all accounts, a handsome and charming one who happened to be a prince. I sort of suspected it might be a natural child, for some consider them to be shameful. I don't believe that Tobias does, but he might have used that as an excuse with his conspirators," Mithian said.

"I think if we bring the man to the castle, we might provoke Tobias into action, either through anger, or possibly an attack on him. I would protect him throughout," Merlin said.

"You can't protect everyone," Mithian said.

"Let him stay in one of your rooms so I can protect you both at once. He is your brother," Merlin said.

"Alright. But what makes you think that his presence alone would spur Tobias into action?" Mithian asked.

"He'll have to wonder—how did we know about him? Did your father tell you? Did he tell you that he told Tobias? He will think he is close to being caught, and he might do something desperate and make a mistake," Gilbert said.

"What kind of mistake?" Mithain asked.

"If he sends someone to kill one of us, we will be able to interrogate him and get him to give up your uncle. Then we will be able to confront him with trying to kill us to cover up the truth," Merlin said.

"But a king assassinating a relative is not the worst thing in the world. We already would have had evidence of my uncle trying to kill me if we'd taken one of those bandits prisoner. A king could argue it was for the good, the stability of the nation. It is not the same as a king's subject committing regicide to gain the throne. How do we get him to confess to killing my father?"

Merlin appeared thoughtful. "I don't know. It is not a perfect plan. Would you like to return to the castle and we think of a better one there?"

"No," Mithian said. "If you think this plan will help, we should do it. I trust you."

"What about you, Sir Gilbert? Any thoughts?" Merlin asked.

Gilbert had never been asked his option on a course of action that a princess should take, other than what direction to go at the crossroads or where to stop for the night. He supposed Merlin asked his opinion because he was a co-conspirator now, fighting to take down a king. It was a frightening thought. He had to struggle to put his opinion into words.

"I know Prince—King Tobias. I have accompanied him to healers across the land, and I have seen the way his mind operates. He thinks he is a hard man, but my former king was right. He is weak. If he sees Mithian back in the castle, unconcerned about the bandits who attacked her, and the man he killed his own brother to keep hidden suddenly appear in the castle, his brave face will crumble. He will do something foolish and desperate, and I would be honoured to be the one watching him to see what it is."

"So that is our plan," said Mithian. "We persuade this brother of mine to come with us to the castle. We use him, and me, as bait for my uncle, with Merlin keeping us safe. And Sir Gilbert watches every move the so-called king makes."

"I know of a few other knights who could help us in this endeavor," Gilbert said.

"Ask whomever you think you can trust. Just remember that you are placing my life and the life of my brother in their hands," Mithian said.

"But that's the beauty of asking knights," Merlin said. "You've already trusted them with your life every day of your life."

Mithian smiled at Merlin. "Of course, you are right. But they are loyal to the king. My father is no longer the king, and some might think they could gain favour with the new king by exposing this plan."

"I will ask only those I trust the most," Gilbert said.

"Then we ride for—what is the village called?" Mithian asked.

"Inensbrook," Merlin said.

One of the guards knew the way, and they set off immediately.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Not sure if Mithian would be a "my lady", a "your royal highness", a "your grace" or what. Not really a royal watcher. I am pretty sure she wouldn't stop being a princess because her father died…I think I'm going to go with, titles were really uncomplicated in the dark ages, or something. Also, Agravaine called Morgana "my lady", so…yeah, I assume he was addressing her as a princess, not the king's former ward. Anyone disagree? Let me know.

"What was it like?" Mithian asked as they rode toward Inensbrook.

"The land of the dead?" Merlin asked. "I'm not supposed to say. But I can tell you that your father was with his forefathers, the kings of Nemeth, and he was happy."

"Truly?" Mithian asked.

Merlin nodded.

"I suppose that's more than most people get. Somehow it lessens my grief somewhat—makes it more like he's on some kind of holiday," Mithian said.

"I know you've accepted the idea of having a natural brother. Are you prepared to meet him?" Merlin asked.

"I think so. I wonder if he is prepared for what he will find if we can convince him to come to court with us," Mithian said.

"I would have liked to find out I had siblings. I would have loved to meet my father's other children, if he had had any," Merlin said.

"But your parents were married, weren't they?"

"No. My father was the last Dragonlord. He fled Camelot after helping Uther imprison the Great Dragon in the caves beneath his city. Uther would have killed him, because, having taken care of the dragons, his usefulness was over. And he had magic, after all," Merlin said.

"And did your mother know him in Camelot?"

"No. He fled across the border to another kingdom and there met my mother. They fell in love, and would have married, but Uther sent soldiers after him. He fled again, never knowing that he had fathered a son until shortly before his death," Merlin said.

"Did you ever meet him?" Mithian asked.

"Yes. It was very difficult for me, especially since he died just afterward, but I will always cherish his memory. I have been in the same position as Ian, and I know I would want to meet you and your sisters, no matter how much trouble it caused me," Merlin said.

"That makes me feel better, but you do realize you are rather remarkable, don't you?" Mithian asked.

Merlin smiled. "I suppose I can't very well call myself the average villager."

They rode in silence for some time, and then Mithian broke the silence. "Your father, did he have the same kind of magic as you? Because if he did he could have fought Uther and his men, and stayed with your mother."

"That is a thought I have more often than I would like to admit," Merlin said. "He could have taught me so many things about what I am. I don't even know what a Dragonlord is, really. My father told me briefly what it was all about, and the only other person whose taught me anything about it is a dragon, and it's rather in his interest not to tell me too much about what I can command him to do, isn't it?"

Mithian laughed, and Merlin smiled at her. She was a good friend to listen to his story, especially when she had so many things going on in her life.

"We approach the village, my lady," Sir Gilbert said.

"Will you come in with me when I speak to him?" Mithian asked Merlin.

"Of course," Merlin said. He could tell she was more nervous than she was letting on. It must be important to her to make a good impression. Considering the suspicious, contentious relationships she had with the rest of her siblings, she was probably thinking she could find a real friend in a village man with no particular agenda. Merlin had known all sorts of people from small towns and villages, and knew that just because the man was poor did not make him kind, or naïve, or charming and brave. Poverty could just as easily make a man weak, and bitter, and cruel. He hoped for Mithian's sake, and for the sake of their plan, that Ian was a good fellow.

Sir Gilbert asked around and found out that Ian lived on a small farm with his wife and two sons on the outskirts of town. They rode up the farm and saw a strongly muscled, handsome man of middle years working in his garden.

"I want none of your lies," he said to the party in general.

"Excuse me?" asked Merlin. "Which lies, exactly?"

"In the tavern the other night a party of well-dressed people like you came through and told me that there was a cart over turned in the road. When I went out to help, they attacked me. If I can handle myself with those ones, I can handle myself with you," he said.

"Are you Ian?" Mithian asked.

"Yes," he said. "Now piss off!"

"There's been a mistake," Mithian said. "Those people you met before, I suspect they were here to kill you. I know who sent them. A group of bandits came after me, too. I am not here to hurt you. I want to protect you—to make it so you need never fear for your safety again."

"I don't need any help protecting myself, especially not from a slip of a girl," Ian said.

"If I am so small and weak, perhaps you would not be too frightened to invite me in and let me tell you why I am here," Mithian grated out.

"Alright, I suppose there's no harm in that," Ian said.

"But I want to bring my friend Merlin," Mithian said, gesturing to Merlin.

He grunted his agreement and put down his trowel, washing his hands in the well as he went by.

"Beth, we've visitors," he grumbled. "They don't need any seeing to. They're here to protect me, they say."

"That's right strange," Beth said.

"You said it," he said, sitting down at the table. "Can my wife stay?"

"Of course. This concerns her, too. And your sons," Mithian said.

Ian's eyes narrowed. "What do you know about my sons? You stay away from them!"

Merlin could tell Mithian was getting frustrated, so he placed a hand on her shoulder to let her know he would take over for a minute. She nodded and he said, "What did your mother tell you about your father?"

"Oh, not this again. My mother was always saying how my father was a great lord and ever so important and wonderful. It might be true, for all I know. It never did me a bit of good."

Merlin looked at Mithian and she motioned for him to continue. "I'm afraid it's still not doing you much good. Those people wanted to kill you because the late king recently found out you're his son, and his brother, your uncle, doesn't want you claiming the throne."

Ian stared at Merlin, then stared at his wife, then stared at Mithian. "Who's she then, the bloody queen?"

"My mother is dead, and our uncle's wife is back at the castle. I am your sister, Princess Mithian," she said.

"And who are you?" Ian asked Merlin.

"No one. A friend," he said.

"I met him when he was serving a foreign king. He was a powerful wizard masquerading as a manservant to protect a king who would have killed him if he'd known of his magic," Mithian said.

"So basically no one," Ian said dryly.

"I just didn't want to complicate things. You all have a lot to deal with," Merlin said.

"So this means my sons, my boys, are royalty?" Beth asked.

"They are. And that can confer great privilege on them, but right now it could also put them in great danger. I am in danger right now, too. That is why Merlin is here. He might not look like it, but he is an extremely capable protector," Mithian said.

"So what happens now?" Ian asked.

"I want to take you with me to the castle, and have you recognized as my brother. I must be honest with you. Our father's death was murder, and it had everything to do with him wanting you to be recognized as his son. You will be in danger if you come to the castle with me, but there you will have a select group of knights I feel we can trust and Merlin here to protect you and your family. Here you will be at the mercy of whatever group of bandits Tobias pays off to kill you or your sons."

Ian looked at his wife. "I suppose I have no argument against that. We have no choice but to do what you say."

Mithian put a hand on Ian's arm. "I want to be even more honest. You, I, and your sons will be bait. We are going to try and draw out our father's killer by being alive and in his face when he wanted us dead. But I really would like us to be friends. I have never had a brother. I know you are much older than me, but I don't see that as a barrier to us getting along. Please believe me when I say I sincerely want to get to know you, and your wife and children."

"You can't want to know me. I'm a nobody. I'll stay here and mind the farm," Beth said.

Merlin looked at her. She was sturdy and stout and she had grit in her that he doubted she even knew about. As he looked at her, he could see a line of men in crowns that passed down through the ages. "Madam, you should watch who you call a nobody, for you are the mother of kings. I see twelve generations of them with your blood."

Mithian said. "I didn't know you could see the future."

"I can't, usually. But this woman is the mother of kings. I've never seen anything more clearly. Her descendants will shape the destiny of this land."

"I hope that doesn't mean I have to be king," Ian said.

"No, I don't think so," Merlin said. "One of your sons will. The younger one, I think. Donal, is it?"

"I suppose this means we have to go with Mithian. At the very least, Donal should know his way around the castle before he's crowned," Ian said, laughing rather hollowly.

"I am sorry this was so abrupt. I wish I could have made this easier on you," Mithian said.

"I have always wondered if this fine lord my mother always talked about would one day show up and give me an inheritance. I never expected…Listen, Mithian, about what you said earlier, I do want to try. I was raised with a cousin about my own age, but everyone knew he was the good one and I was the bastard. He never let me forget it. It made me grow up tough and mean, but I always envied people who had close families. I might not be a great brother, but I'll try."

"Well, I suspected my sisters of poisoning my father for a chance at the throne, so I might not be the best example of a sister, either. But I really want to be a real sister to you," Mithian said.

"Well, I'll go round up the boys. I don't know what we'll do for horses," Ian said.

Merlin got up to leave the house. "I'll see what Sir Gilbert can do. Beth, you must pack everything that matters to you. You might not be able to return for some time."


	10. Chapter 10

They rode into Nemeth Castle midmorning the next day.

Mithian ushered her brother and his family into her rooms, and this time Merlin was told he would stay in an antechamber to protect all of them.

Although Mithian had her own bedroom, plus a servant's room and a spare room and a parlour in her suite, with Mithian, Merlin, and a family of four, it seemed awfully crowded. They were just getting settled in when there came a banging on the parlour door.

Mithian bid all but Merlin to go out of the room and then called for the person knocking to enter.

A man Merlin could only assume was King Tobias strode into the room. He was tall and thin, but did not really look sick. He was rather pale, though, and Merlin supposed that he had probably spent his whole life trying not to look sick.

"What is the meaning of all this?" he demanded, addressing Mithian.

"All this? I do not know to what you refer," Mithian said. She was sitting calmly on her parlour chair, and Merlin was standing behind her.

"First of all, you had some foreign sorcerer come here to investigate your father's death without even consulting me about it first. Well, what have you learned?" he asked, addressing Merlin.

"The king's breakfast was poisoned," Merlin said promptly, causing Tobias some shock, either because he so confidently addressed a king, or because he had not known they knew so much.

"Who did it? Why has the culprit not been brought to justice?" Tobias asked.

"We are still collecting evidence against the person who did this," Merlin said.

Tobias narrowed his eyes. "You know nothing. You are simply using Mithian's grief against her—and siphoning her gold from her as you do it."

"Oh, we never have talked about payment, Merlin. I will pay you, if you like. What is your number? Name your price," she said, deliberately echoing the letter.

"Seeing justice done is all the payment I need," Merlin said.

"Who is staying with you?" Tobias asked hollowly.

"Staying here? Why Merlin is staying here, for my protection," Mithian murmured.

"Why should you need protection?" Tobias asked. "I can protect my own niece in my own castle."

"I was attacked by bandits. They seemed to want to kill me," Mithian said calmly.

"That was in Arthur's land," Tobias said. "His lands are known for their lawlessness."

"My, you are well informed about my life. I wonder how you knew about the attack, and exactly where it took place," Mithian said vaguely.

"I got a full report from the soldiers you took from their duty without asking. And for what? A camping trip to Camelot? You went there and met no one, and then returned to Nemeth, stopping in a small village on the way. What did you do there, my lady?" Tobias asked.

"In Camelot? Or Inensbrook?" she asked innocently.

"Inensbrook?" he echoed hollowly.

Merlin had to fight to keep a triumphant smile off his face. So he had not known which town they had gone to. Sir Gilbert must have played his interview with the king just right.

"Why did you not take a lady's maid with you?" Tobias asked.

"Why would I need a lady's maid on a trip like that one?" Mithian asked.

"You left here with a group of men, slept on the ground with them for days, all without a chaperon. And now you expect me to let this young man stay in your rooms with you? No, my dear, that will not happen. You are important to this kingdom for more reasons than simply your value to me as a niece. You must make a good marriage someday, for the good of the kingdom," Tobias said.

"I will not be bartered and sold to pay for your women and gamboling. The only marriage contract father ever considered for me was with King Arthur. He is the only eligible king out of all our allies. And I certainly wasn't up to anything that would make me ineligible for marriage in Camelot. You know it was not like that. I was investigating what happened to my father," she said.

"Hardly women's work," Tobias sneered. "You may have been able to travel around without any escort except your father's most handsome knight when he was alive, but now I am your guardian. You will not be able to stay here with my niece, young man. In fact, I think it is time you left the kingdom of Nemeth altogether."

"He is here to serve me," said Ian from the door of his room, his wife beside him.

"Who is this peasant?" Tobias asked, causing Beth to flinch. Ian, however, was used to being called names, and had no reaction.

"Don't you recognize him?" Mithian asked softly. "I'm told he is the very picture of his father in his youth. And you knew his father well."

"You did this!" Tobias screamed, pointing to Merlin. "You used magic to make this man look like my brother. He never had a son. He never told me or anyone else about a son. It's all part of your scheme. King Uther told us all about the dangers of magic, and here they are coming true in my own castle."

Merlin looked at Mithian, and the worry he felt was also evident on her face. This was not good.

Merlin did the first thing that popped into his mind. Base trickery and lies, of course. Uther would have felt vindicated. "No! It was your brother's ghost who told us all about this. And it is all the truth. I will summon him to tell the court all about you and your foul deeds."

"What? That's impossible!" Tobias said.

"Then how did we know about your nephew? You covered it all up so well, but the dead can be vengeful. Your brother wants to see you suffer for taking him away from his children and grandchildren," Merlin continued mercilessly.

"How would he even know who killed him, if someone poisoned his breakfast? He would have never seen the killer's face," Tobias asked.

"The dead see everything. They see everything we've done. Can you imagine all of the kings of Nemeth back ten generations, ready to greet you and torture you for murdering one of them when you die?" Merlin went on relentlessly.

"I didn't murder anyone," Tobias shouted.

"You did! And you murdered a servant and two maids, which in my opinion is just as bad as killing a king. I'm sure the dead, who will judge you one day, would feel the same," Merlin continued.

"I'm leaving," Tobias said.

Merlin fused the lock and made his voice quiver in fear. "Oh no! I didn't do that. I swear. It must be the true king, returned to take justice."

"Let me out of here! I didn't do anything wrong," he said.

"Then why do you fear me?" a voice said.

"Brother, is that you?" Tobias asked. He looked around the room frantically, his voice quaking, but he saw nothing.

"You know it is I. Repent. Tell the truth about what you have done. Give up your place as king, and I shall tell all our father kings to let you rest without torment when you die," the voice said.

"I—I shall tell the priest," Tobias said. "I shall tell the priest all my sins."

"If you repent without giving up the wages of your sin, you will still be punished. Confess to the court, and then give up your throne," the voice said.

"But then I would have killed you for nothing! At least now I have the kingdom I always deserved. I always told you I didn't want it, but I only said that because I thought you could see it in my eyes, read it in my heart. I would have given up on being king, but you kept having daughters! I was so close to being king. I was the next in line. What king makes it to fifty without being murdered or killed in battle? I never thought you would last so long. I had to kill you. I needed to be king. I always have," Tobias said. He stopped talking as his body was wracked in sobs.

"Are you ready to confess to the court?" Merlin asked.

"Will you make him leave me? Will you make that voice go away?" Tobias asked.

"I will leave when you have made your confession," the voice said.

Tobias looked up, bleary eyed and exasperated. "Fine," he said, "come with me." When he tried the door again, it opened.

Merlin saw Sir Gilbert lurking around outside the door, and gestured for him to follow. He deserved to hear the confession, after all he'd done.

The king walked almost defiantly into the council room, where about six councillors were in a heated discussion about something. "Your majesty! We are so pleased you came to join us for council. Your seat is at the head of the table," a simpering man who looked about a hundred said.

"No need," Tobias said. "I am here to renounce my claim on the throne. I do not deserve it, as I gained the throne by killing my brother. There, does that satisfy you, brother? Take your blasted shade back to the land of the dead!"

"How did you kill me?" the voice asked.

"I paid a kitchen boy to put arsenic in his breakfast. It was the only meal that was not closely monitored. The next king should probably change that," Tobias said faintly.

"How did the boy get around the maids?" the voice asked.

"He seduced one of them, and then while he was kissing her put the arsenic in the food behind her back. The other maid caught them misbehaving, and that was why he tried to pay them both off, later. They knew what he had done as soon as the king died, but they hesitated to turn him in, fearing they would be blamed. Paying them off only made them more suspicious. They would have turned him in if I hadn't killed them!"

"What about my daughter Mithian, and my natural son Ian, who stands there by the door? Confess what you did to them," the voice said.

"I went to a place I know of where bandits gather to watch slaves forced to fight to the death. Nobles go sometimes to make wagers. I promised the bandit leader a great deal of gold if he could kill Mithian, and Ian and his sons, and make it look like a random attack. He was happy to do it."

The elderly councillor looked around the table. "What do we do?" he asked. "We cannot arrest the king."

"You may do so on my order," the voice said.

"He is the king," one of the councillors said.

"The true king, until another is crowned," the voice said.

"You said you'd make him go away. You said if I confessed to everything, he would leave me," Tobias whined to Merlin.

"I do not command the dead," Merlin said. "He will go when he is ready."

"Take him to the dungeons," the voice said.

Tobias was dragged away.

"Who will be king now?" asked the old man feebly.

"We have a very large family with many able men. We must assemble everyone together and make the choice as to who is to rule," Mithian said.

"Perhaps you should rule, Princess. You have proven yourself able to take charge and command men," one of the councillors said. "A queen ruling a kingdom alone is strange but not unheard of."

Mithian took a step back, raising her hands as though in self-defence. "Please, put that thought out of your head. I have no wish to rule."

"Perhaps that would make you a better ruler," said the councillor.

"Please, no. I am sure there is someone who is fit for it. I cannot, please," Mithian said.

"We will have to find another," the councillor said.

"Pity," said the old man. "She would have done nicely."

Mithian and the others went back to her rooms.

"You should have done it," Merlin said, smirking.

"Be king? Are you serious?" Mithian said.

"You would make a good ruler," Sir Gilbert said.

"Enough. You must tell me what happened with Tobias," Mithian said.

"Yes, I thought I was in for many tedious days following the king from one den of iniquity to another," Sir Gilbert grinned.

"Which you would have hated, I'm sure," Mithian said, rolling her eyes. "Merlin? What happened?"

"Sorry. I panicked. I thought he was going to send me out of the country, claim I had enchanted you to try to kill him or something, and kill all of you. I did the first thing that came to mind," Merlin said.

"You didn't really summon my father's ghost, did you?" Mithian asked.

"No, of course not. I told you I couldn't do that, didn't I? That was me talking the whole time. It is a little tricky projecting your voice like that, especially when you're pretending to be someone else and then also involved in the conversation yourself. I honestly didn't even know I could do that," Merlin said.

"Why would you apologize for that? It got the job done better than our actual plan," Mithian said.

"Yes, but I pretended to be your father's ghost. It's a cheap trick, and not very respectful of him. I'm sorry," Merlin said.

"You got the man put in jail and probably saved our lives. No apologies needed," Mithian said.

"What happens now?" asked Ian.

"Now, Nemeth must decide who is to rule her," Merlin said.

"I thought you said it was going to be my boy," Ian said.

"He will rule, someday. I don't know why or how. Perhaps his rule will follow Tobias's, or perhaps there will be someone in between. But somehow or other, your and Beth's descendants will rule this land," Merlin said.

"We'll have to get the boys into lessons," Mithian said. "If they are to be royalty, they should learn everything they can."

Beth looked at her husband. "I suppose it's time you tell them about their royal blood."

"I thought they were trouble before. I suppose they'll be insufferable now that they outrank half the countryside," Ian said dryly, knocking on the door to the room.


	11. Chapter 11

"Order! Order, please! We must have order if we are to proceed," Lord Albany said. He was in charge of the proceedings, which were quickly getting out of hand.

Merlin looked around the room. All of the lords and ladies and others who had an interest in the succession of the king, and status enough to win entry, were crowded into a council chamber which had seemed huge when empty.

"Almost everyone here has an equally weak claim to the throne—everyone but Thano and I. We are married to the former king's daughters. He intrusted his most precious possessions to us, so he would have wanted us to rule," Lord Buri said.

"So are the two of you going to rule together? Or will you go by who is oldest, or which daughter is oldest? Will she rule or will you? The old ways are best. Let's line up our armies and whoever still stands in the end will be the king," a gruff, frightening fellow Merlin did not recognize said.

"No!" shouted Mithian. "Do you want to leave the country weakened so that some opportunistic warlord can come in and take what we have? We have banded together for mutual protection. For the good of all. Surely there is some way to decide without war."

"Princess Mithian, who do you think should be king? You brought your half-brother here to the castle. Is that because you want him to be king?" someone asked.

"No, I do not think Ian should be king, nor does he. But I want it to be acknowledged that he has a claim on the throne, as do his heirs," Mithian said.

"Those boys are too young to be king, and their father is too inexperienced," Thano said. "Buri and I have been involved in governing this kingdom for most of our lives. One of us should be made king."

"My grandfather was king, same as you, same as your wife's father. By right of being a descendant of a king, I have the same claim to the kingship as you. Whoever becomes king could marry Mithian, and then be on equal ground with anyone else here," said one of Mithian's cousins.

"But you are already married!" said an anonymous voice, and the room erupted in laughter.

"I am not some prize to be awarded to the next, or any, king!" Mithian said. "I allowed my father to make arrangements for me to be married because he loved me and had my best interests at heart. I know only a few in this room who can say the same."

Suddenly an old bard stood. He seemed older than any man Merlin had ever seen, but he commanded the room's attention, as a bard should. "In my youth, a bard stood for much more than he does now. His was the duty to remember laws, and rituals, and officiate over every festival day. When King John died, there was a question of who should succeed him. It was almost as much of a mess as this—but not quite," the bard said. The room laughed at his little joke, and then he went on. "I was a young man then—an apprentice, if you can believe it. The Master Bard asked me to go to the great library and fetch him a scroll. The scroll was inscribed with a spell to choose the man who destiny had decided would be king. The court wizard performed the spell, and King Gareth, grandfather to many in this room, began to glow with a white light. He went on to become the best king this kingdom had ever known."

"Do you still have this spell?" Lord Buri asked.

"The scroll itself was burned, in the time of the purge," the bard said.

"Why bring it up, then?" Lord Buri snapped.

"Because I remember it still. I could teach it to the Warlock who helped Princess Mithian overcome King Tobias," the bard said.

"What would stop him from simply making the person he wants to be king glow white?" a lord asked.

"Why would he?" asked Mithian. "The only people he knows here are Ian and I, and neither one of us want to be king. The rest of you are strangers to him."

"He is Arthur's man. He will change the spell so that it identifies the weakest king, so that Arthur can overcome this land," a voice cried out.

"Now wait just a minute!" Merlin said, his voice coming out louder and more authoritative than he had intended. The crowd was silenced immediately. "I have been accused of being here to take advantage of Mithian's grief as I rob her, being here to molest her, being here to control the proceedings of this court for my own ends, and trying to weaken your state so that it can be destroyed by King Arthur. I know you all have been taught to mistrust magic, but believe me, I have no need of such subtle methods! If I wanted to, I could shake your castle to the ground,"

Merlin looked around at them all darkly, showing them he was serious. "I could call a dragon to attack without mercy until every one of you is dead. Why do I not do these things? For one thing, I am not evil. For another, Mithian is my friend, and she asked me to help. However, I'm beginning to wonder if this kingdom is just a lost cause."

"Besides, if the bard can remember the spell from his days as an apprentice, he can certainly tell us if the Warlock meddles with the words," Mithian said in a small voice.

"Shall we vote on the bard's plan?" asked Lord Albany.

The majority of the men raised their hands in support of the plan. Merlin left the room with the bard, and went into an antechamber to learn the spell.

"Malek is my name. It is a pleasure to see magic in the kingdom again. It does have its uses. Nothing settles secession matters like a good destiny spell," the man said.

"I am Merlin," Merlin said.

"I thought you were Emrys," Malek said.

"That is what the druids call me," Merlin said.

The man grunted his agreement. "I have heard tales of your coming. I don't know any tales of another sorcerer who could have put those idiots in their place. Honestly, I've been their bard for sixty years, and I've never seen the lot of them set down so wonderfully. I'm going to write a jolly satire about it."

"Is this spell hard, do you think? I sometimes have to practice a spell several times before I get it right. I wouldn't be all that scary if I had to do it ten times before it worked, now would I?" Merlin asked.

"I hadn't considered that. The great Emrys needs to practice, does he? Well, go and run to the bard's mansion and practice on the three candidates for my position. I've had a devil of a time figuring out who should be Master Bard after me. They're all so mediocre," Malek said. "Go on, now, I'll tell them you're meditating or something."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Merlin asked.

"What the devil are you talking about? Do you want a lolly or something?" Malek said.

Merlin chuckled a bit. "I should probably learn the spell first," he said.

"Oh, right. Of course. Here it is," he said, and he recited a spell.

Merlin repeated it back, and was corrected in places he had gotten it wrong until he knew he had it backwards and forwards.

Then he got directions to the Bard's mansion and assembled the bards who were in contention to be the next Master Bard. They sat in chairs in front of him, and he performed the spell once. It worked. Merlin nearly rolled his eyes. Of course it would work the first time—he'd been taught by a bard this time, not a book, so all the pronunciation was worked out for him.

Merlin assembled all of the candidates for kingship around a table. The room was crowded with people watching. Merlin was a bit nervous, but he closed his eyes and said the spell.

When he opened them, Donal was glowing, as he had somehow known he would be.

"Well, a fat lot of good that did us. What is he, ten?" one of the lords said.

"We agreed to stand by the outcome of the spell," said another. "If he was the only son of the king, we would appoint a regent, so why not do that?"

"But that means we're back where we started! Does the bard have a spell to choose who gets to be regent?"

"Can I say something?" Donal asked Merlin.

"The future king would like to speak," said Merlin.

"Thano and Buri both have experience in governing. Why not have them be the regents?" he asked. "And they're my uncles and my cousins, so they have good reason to help me."

Merlin thought back to Agravaine, but said nothing. Surely Mithian would look out for her nephew and not let anything like that happen. Although even Merlin hadn't been able to prevent Agravaine's betrayal…

However, Buri and Thano seemed happy with the arrangement, and conferred briefly. "We would be agreeable, providing Donal makes us his chief councillors when he becomes king."

"How can I do that? I don't know if you'll be any good, yet," Donal said.

The room erupted in laughter, and there were scattered comments about the boy's kingly wisdom even at ten.

"Besides, my older brother will always be my chief councillor," Donal said. "But if you are good regents, and don't try to wreck anything or kill me or anyone I care about, then you will always have a say in what I decide to do as king."

Thano and Buri agreed, and the new government was formed.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: This is the end of part 1. I am writing a sequel that takes place in Camelot with all of the canon characters (even Morgana)—not sure if anyone from Nemeth will appear. Should they? I was going to do a separate story, but I could just add a part 2 to this one, if people would prefer not having to adjust alerts and favourites. Drop me a review to let me know your preference. I will probably write the entire story before I upload it—I find it easier to structure a story that way and avoid rambling…**

Merlin was sitting on the floor packing his belongings when Mithian found him. He looked small and slight, and very young. It was hard to believe he had cowed the entire court just yesterday.

She leaned against the doorjamb, wondering if Merlin knew she was there. He seemed to have heightened senses some of the time, and other times was as clumsy and inattentive as the next man. She supposed he tried to react like a normal person to, well, fit in better. She hoped he would never change who he was or how he acted around her. She loved him, after all, whether he loved her back or not.

However, he didn't know that. And she probably shouldn't tell him.

Should she?

He looked up and saw her. "Oh, hello," he said.

"I see you got the books I sent you," she said. She had sent Merlin a stack of books that had somehow survived the purge—books on magic, and Dragonlords, and other creatures mysterious and strange.

"Yes," Merlin's eyes lit up. "They're amazing! I will return them to you when I have them copied, or let's face it, probably memorized before too long. I saw one or two spells in the thick one I could have used over the years."

"No, Merlin, they are yours. I trust you to keep them safe from those who would misuse their power," she said.

"Thank you. You could not have given me another gift that I would like more," Merlin said.

She smiled fondly, and he grinned back. "Merlin, there is no need for you to leave right away. I think they're thinking of making you a thane or an honorary knight or something."

Merlin grimaced. "All the more reason to go. I used to think when I was in Camelot that I would like for the people to know all the things I'd done to save Arthur and the rest of them. However, now I have all these accolades, I don't know if I like all the thank yous. After all, I didn't do much—not nearly as much as I did in the same span of time the average week in Camelot."

"Why did you never tell Arthur?" Mithian asked.

"At first I was afraid of Arthur telling Uther what I was. Then I really started to care what happened to Arthur, we were friends, and I was afraid if I told him the truth he would send me away or try to kill me, and then he could die without me protecting him. I couldn't take the chance. I suppose after a while it was hard to tell him the truth because I had lied to him for so long. I knew all his secrets—every one of them. And I had just listened to his secrets without confiding my own. I didn't even tell him about Freya," Merlin said.

"Can you tell me the story of you and Freya?" Mithian asked, wondering why she was torturing herself.

"Not right now. Not so soon after seeing her. Another time," Merlin said.

"There might not be another time. You're leaving," Mithian said. She tried to keep the emotion out of her voice, but he must have noticed the catch in her throat. Should she tell him? She had nothing to lose, and she wanted him to know he was loved, and not just by a water-bound dead woman, no matter how pretty she was.

"I suppose I might come back here again," Merlin said. "And you might accompany your nephew on a state visit one day to Camelot, someday when Arthur has accepted my help again."

"You really think he'll ask you to return? Because you could have a place here," Mithian said.

"It is my destiny to help Arthur," Merlin said. "I questioned it at first, but now I know that the reason I was put on this earth different, with so much power, was to make Arthur and Camelot great."

"What about your life?" Mithian asked. "Do you think you'll ever get married?"

Merlin looked at her strangely. "I don't know. Why do you ask?"

_Here goes_, thought Mithian. "Because I'm in love with you."

Merlin started to speak, and she held up her hand, preventing him from speaking. "I am not asking for you to love me back. I know you don't. I have seen the difference in your eyes when you look at Freya and when you look at me. I know you think of me as a good friend and nothing more. But if you wanted to…you could think about staying here. You could be the court wizard, and advise the king you helped to crown. You could see what happens between you and me, and if you started to love me a little, you could marry a princess, for what that's worth," Mithian laughed slightly. "Or I would go to Camelot with you and be happy just being your wife, even if you were still a manservant to Arthur. I don't expect anything, though. I don't even expect you to say thank you. I just wanted you to know, because I'm not ashamed of how I feel."

"Why would you be ashamed to love another person?" Merlin asked. He smiled at her. "I'm happy that you care about me. I don't know if you'd feel the same way about me when I'm not running around solving problems with magic. Usually I'm not much use to anybody. I haven't told you the consequences of all the things I've done in Camelot—the trouble I've caused without even meaning to. You should see the ridiculous mistakes I've made, and all the pain the decisions I've made have caused."

Mithian crouched down on the floor where Merlin still sat and put her hand on his arm. "How could you even think I would not love you if you made mistakes? Everyone makes mistakes, and for all your talk about not being exactly human, I know you are human enough to not be perfect. I don't love you because you fixed all my problems with magic. I love you because you protected me, and you comforted me when I was afraid, and you helped me when I asked you to, and you thought those servants who died were just as important as my father. I love you because you gave that crusty old bard your arm when the two of you left the room. I love you because you refused to let Arthur banish you! Anyone else would have washed their hands of him years ago. Should I go on?"

Merlin laughed slightly, and Mithian noticed he had tears in his eyes, as she did in her own. He placed his hand over hers, where she still gripped his arm tightly, and said, "I don't deserve to be loved by someone as beautiful, and sweet, and strong as you. I mean, you're a princess."

"Did your friend Gwen not deserve to be loved by a king?" Mithian asked.

"That's different. She's Gwen. She's the sweetest person I've ever met," Merlin said.

"She didn't seem sweet when she was kicking me out of Gaius's sick room," Mithian said dryly.

"And that is another reason I must go back. I need to be sure Gaius is alright. He's an old man, and he seems to take care of everyone else in the kingdom before he takes care of himself," Merlin said.

"Sounds familiar," Mithian said softly.

"I wish there was some way for us to see what could be, between us," Merlin said. "I just can't see it happening right now. You must stay and help your brother and his family adjust to their new lives, and I must see to my life in Camelot. I think it's time I tell Arthur to get over it and let me protect him."

"If you want to reconcile with Arthur, here's a few tips. Kings usually don't like being told what to do. And you probably shouldn't threaten to send a dragon to kill every inhabitant of the castle, or tell him you'll use magic to shake it until in crumbles to the ground, either," Mithian said.

"Thanks," Merlin laughed. "I'll try to stop myself from saying things like that in the future. I mean, really, who would say those things? Some kind of prat of a warlock, that's for sure."

The smile left Mithian's face and she paused a moment, to make sure Merlin was looking in her eyes and really hearing her. "I won't stop feeling this way. I know you think this is all about gratitude or awe, but it's not. I really do love you."

"I care about you, so much, and want you to be safe, and happy," Merlin said.

Mithian knew she had said she didn't feel ashamed of her feelings, but she did feel a little pathetic. She wanted him to kiss her so badly, just in case she never saw him again, but she could hardly ask him to kiss her. It smacked of desperation.

In the end she took a page from Merlin's book and did the first thing that came to mind. She leaned over and placed her lips gently against his. His lips were dry and surprisingly soft and full. She felt daring and bold just being so near to him, and the kiss felt strange and different than anything she'd ever experienced…and so wonderful. But it was bittersweet; it was almost painful for her to think that this might be the last time they touched. He returned the kiss gently for a moment and then moved his lips to her cheek and kissed her again, there, and put his arms around her, drawing her into a tight hug that was almost as good as the kiss.

She didn't _want_ to let him go.

But she did.


	13. Chapter 13

Hello again. I have the first chapter of the sequel to this story going up now. It is called "Power and Responsibility" and it immediately follows this one chronologically. Sorry for the delay in posting this story—it is actually not done yet, but I have twelve chapters so far. I think it will turn out to be a bit longer than "Trickery and Lies". I will try to post one every other day or thereabouts.

Summary:

Merlin returns to Camelot to find his magical powers surprisingly in demand, though Arthur still has his reservations about his former friend. The Nemeth court visits. Even Arthur finds himself embracing Merlin's talents when Morgana returns, but Merlin finds the most challenging conflicts come from within. Follows "Trickery and Lies".


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